Tossed Greens: Salinas Valley companies are thinking smart

An oft-spoken axiom in business is to "think big," but big is not always better and Salinas Valley growers are adopting a sister philosophy: Think smart.

Documentaries, books and even celebrated chefs like Alice Waters are calling for sustainable agricultural practices, particularly buying local, fresh produce. Farmers' markets are now a regular item on many to-do lists, and community-supported agriculture, known best by its acronym CSA, are delivering boxes of fresh produce up and down California.

A number of growers in the Salinas Valley are thinking smart and ensuring a presence in these diverse distribution centers. Salinas-based Tanimura & Antle invested in its own farmers market when it opened the Monterey Wharf Marketplace.

Here's one of the biggest lettuce and commodity growers in the valley selling its produce in what is essentially a fancy roadside produce stand. Trying to eke out a few extra bucks on its bottom line? Hardly.

Monterey is a vacation destination for people across the country and across the seas. They stop at the Wharf Market place and are treated to fruit, wine and produce shipped over from Salinas that morning. Of course it's delicious, and they will remember those brands when they are back in Iowa City grocery shopping in a retail chain.

Mike Antle of T&A told me Thursday the marketplace is one way to punch holes in the so-called "lettuce curtain."

"The Peninsula doesn't realize what the rest of the county has to offer," he said.

Locating it in the old train depot is significant in the valley-peninsula connection. Historically, produce grown in Salinas was shipped up and down the coast from Monterey. It plays well in connecting the two areas of Monterey County, Antle said.

Brant Good, the marketplace's general manager, also told me that the charm of a produce market is an effective branding tool.

"It's like Rick Antle says, it's every farmer's dream to open a roadside stand. But instead of a wood shack on Highway 68, they opted for the old train depot," Good said. "Our hope is that if someone here in Monterey who is from Rhode Island, and when they return to their big-box retailer, our label will have stuck with them."

And here's an example of a large berry grower helping a client brand their products with the berry grower's employees. California Giant has trumpeted a healthy lifestyle among its employees for a number of years. Now, in partnership with Watsonville Coast Produce, the staff receives weekly fresh produce deliveries at the office to take home and share with their families.

Watsonville Coast Produce has been a longtime customer of California Giant, and it recently developed this new program for the company staff to receive fresh produce deliveries at work. Many consumers across the country subscribe to CSA's and have the opportunity to receive some sort of fresh produce on their doorstep.

But Watsonville Coast thought smart by supporting those farmers that support them in the market. They want to connect their customers so each week they assemble boxes of fresh fruits and veggies they receive from many local farming companies and customize boxes for delivery.

Each box contains an assortment of seasonal items along with recipe ideas and stories about the farmers. Employees at Cal Giant can make special requests each week for their box of goodies and enjoy reduced prices thanks to the company.

"This is a great way for us to enjoy locally grown items and share the weekly experience with our co-workers," said Cindy Jewell, Gal Giant's marketing director. "We each look forward to getting that box on a weekly basis and share new recipes we develop with items that we otherwise might not purchasef at the store."

Cal Giant was one of the first area growers to eliminate snacks and junk food in the kitchen. Then it designated an area in the building for an office gym, purchasing commercial exercise equipment and personal trainer to help staff develop a fitness program.

Now fitness is a way of life for everyone with lunch walking groups, bike rides and workout sessions in the gym.

It's classic thinking smart.

Dennis L. Taylor writes about agriculture and economics for The Californian. Follow him on Twitter @taylor_salnews.